Page 58 of Missing Pieces (Men of Manhattan 3)

"You lied to me." She looked so hurt.

"I never lied to you." Fuck, that isn't true. But I didn't mean to. I didn't want to anymore. I wanted to tell her about basic training. I needed to. Before I could say anything else, though, she tried to brush past me again, so I stepped in front of her.

She immediately took a step back. "Really? Well maybe people from the east coast have a different definition of lying. But from where I'm from, it's very simple. When you don't tell the truth, you're lying, asshole."

"Hails, I was going to tell you. If you'd just let me explain."

"Explain? You've had days to explain, Tyler. And I don't care that you didn't tell me. I just care that you lied about it."

I had withheld information from her. I hadn't let her in. But honestly, I had never lied. Was she talking about something else? "I don't know what you're talking about."

She pointed to something behind me. "You said that she wasn't your type."

Before I even turned around I had a sinking feeling in my stomach. Hails had been obsessed with the story of the shooting ever since I had met her. Sure enough, the TV was on mute, but there was a picture of James and Penny on the screen. Oh, shit. "I didn't lie, Hails. I said that I don't have a type. And I don't." Penny had come crashing into my life and I fell for her. I didn't have a thing for girls with blue eyes and red hair. I had a thing for Penny. Had. It was the first time I had used the past tense when thinking about my feelings for her. And I knew it was because of the girl standing in front of me seething. I was falling for her. I was falling for her when I couldn't have her.

She laughed, but it sounded forced. "Really? You're going to pretend she's not everything you ever wanted? God, something is seriously wrong with you. You've been watching me watch the news this whole time. And you never said a word. You know both of them. They're in pain and there is absolutely no emotion on your face. You're a monster."

"You think I'm not hurting for her? I am. Every day he doesn't wake up kills me."

"Why, Tyler? James is dying. Every doctor that they've interviewed thinks so. The girl that you love is about to be single. So what the hell are you doing in the middle of the desert with me? Go get your prize. You won."

"I didn't win." How could she think so little of me to believe that I'd find joy in someone suffering? Someone I care about deeply. I wasn't a monster. I was trying to move on. I was trying so hard to leave the past behind but it continued to follow me everywhere. "I don't want to go back to New York. You have to believe me. I'm where I want to be."

"Give me a break," she said under her breath.

"Hails, I want to be here with you. I do."

"Bullshit! Don't feed me some insincere line!"

"What do you want me to say? Penny was the love of my life? My best friend? What do you want from me?"

"Tell me the truth!"

"The truth is that our relationship is over. I told Penny I loved her and she told me she'd never feel the same way. She told me she'd rather be alone than with me. She didn't even want me to come to her wedding. I meant nothing to her and she meant everything to me." I swallowed hard. "Everything." My whole body suddenly felt cold. "I can't even look at her without feeling like I lost. I'm just trying to figure out who I am without her."

"So that's why you did it?"

"Did what?" I didn't want to be talking about Penny with Hailey. I was trying to start over. I needed to start over.

"You're insane." She tried to walk past me again but I reached for her wrist. She immediately pulled away. "Touch me again and I'll scream. I swear to God, Tyler." Tears were streaming down her cheeks.

"Would you just talk to me? You knew all this already. You just didn't know it was Penny. Why does this change anything?"

Hailey shook her head like she couldn't believe what I was saying.

"If you're upset about Penny..."

"I don't even care about that! I knew you were still in love with her. I let you use me to help get over her because I can't seem to resist you. That's on me for being stupid. That's not why I'm upset."

"I didn't use you." I resisted reaching for her again. I so badly wanted to wrap my arms around her and console her. But she was being irrational.

"Just stop okay? Please just let me go."

"No. Hails, I don't want you to leave. Not like this. Please just talk to me."

"I won't tell anyone where you are if you let me go. I promise. Please, please just let me walk away from this."

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